Story Time: I Believe in Santa

Level A1/A1+ (Elementary/Upper Elementary)

Reading Comprehension Year 5

Write the correct form of the verb. Use the Present Simple Tense.

Do You Believe in Santa Claus?

Many American children between the ages of two and seven ______ (believe) in Santa Claus. Santa Claus is an imaginary person. He ______ (have) a white beard and a white moustache and ______ (wear) a red suit with white fur. He ______ (live) far away at the North Pole.

Joe’s nephew, Jason, is five years old. He ______ (believe) in Santa Claus. He ______ (believe) that Santa Claus ______ (bring) presents to all good children. Parents always ______ (tell) their children that bad children ______ (not get) presents; they ______ (get) coal. But, of course, Santa never ______ (give) coal.

Every year a few weeks before Christmas, Jason’s mother ______ (help) her son write a letter to Santa Claus. In his letter he ______ (tell) Santa everything that he ______ (want) for Christmas.

Santa ______ (not go) to the houses on Christmas Eve until all the children ______ (go) to bed. Santa ______ (travel) in a sleigh. He ______ (land) his sleigh on the roof. This is because Santa ______ (not enter) a house through the door; he always ______ (go) down the chimney.

Jason always ______ (hang) a big red stocking on the fireplace before he ______ (go) to bed. Santa ______ (fill) the Christmas stocking with fruit, candy, and small toys. He ______ (leave) the big presents under the Christmas tree. Of course, he ______ (not bring) everything that the children ask for.

Jason always ______ (leave) a plate of cookies for Santa. His parents secretly ______ (eat) them, but they ______ (not tell) Jason this. Jason ______ (think) that Santa ______ (eat) cookies.

Jason ______ (not sleep) very late on Christmas Day. He ______ (wake) up his parents at about six in the morning because he ______ (want) to go downstairs to open his presents.

Word List

  • believe – вірити
  • imaginary – уявний
  • fur – хутро
  • coal – вугілля
  • sleigh – сани
  • chimney – димар

And what about you? Do you believe in Santa Claus? Did you believe in Santa when you were five?